Since Kiké Hernandez was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring, the Dodgers have gotten below-average offense from their center fielders. Where Dodgers center fielders rank among all National League clubs in September (through Thursday):
BA .218 (11th)
OBP .314 (10th)
SLG .345 (12th)
wOBA .286 (11th)
DENVER >> The Dodgers’ starting center fielder is close to returning to the lineup after spending nearly a month on the disabled list. Somehow, with Kiké Hernandez, it doesn’t feel quite as important as those raw facts suggest.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly isn’t even ready to declare Hernandez the starting center fielder upon his return from a strained left hamstring.